Our Blog
The Mashpi Amagusa Reserve Saved By Donations
The Basantes family now owns 62-hectares of their precious Mashpi Amagusa Reserve thanks to kind donors.
A Beginner’s Guide to the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival
Although Montana proudly claims the title of “Big Sky Country,” southeastern Oregon makes a compelling argument for the nickname too. In spring, the landscape around Malheur National Wildlife Refuge stretches wide beneath dramatic skies, storm clouds hanging low over...
The Mashpi Amagusa Reserve Saved By Donations
The Basantes family now owns 62-hectares of their precious Mashpi Amagusa Reserve thanks to kind donors.
A Beginner’s Guide to the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival
Although Montana proudly claims the title of “Big Sky Country,” southeastern Oregon makes a compelling argument for the nickname too. In spring, the landscape around Malheur National Wildlife Refuge stretches wide beneath dramatic skies, storm clouds hanging low over...
GORUCK X-Pac Review: Better for Travel Than Cordura?
In this review, Scott Drake puts GORUCK's X-PAC GR2 and X-PAC GR3 backpacks to the test, comparing X-PAC fabric against traditional Cordura for water resistance, travel performance, and everyday use. If you're looking for the best waterproof travel backpack for...
Tierra Viva Expo Fair in Nayón
Tierra Viva Expo by Aymé Quijia With support from: David Quijia, Darío Quijia, Mayra Andrango, Maribel Quijia, Santiago Juiña In coordination with: the GAD Parroquial de NayónThe Tierra Viva Expo Fair is a gathering of producers, artisans, and knowledge keepers...
Spring Wildflowers on Our Favorite Forest Park Loop
We enjoy living in St. Johns partly for easy access to parks and quiet spaces. One of our favorite places is Forest Park, especially the trailheads along Germantown Road. Scott and I hike there often, whether we need a longer walk, a training hike, or simply a reset....
Do You Need to Buy a SIM Card When Traveling? What We Do Instead
If you’re planning an international trip, you’ve probably asked yourself: Do I need to buy a SIM card when I land? For years, that was the default advice. Find a kiosk at the airport, swap out your SIM, and hope everything works. But that’s not what we do anymore....
An Invitation to Good Friday in Alangasí, Ecuador
We arrived in Alangasí on Good Friday with our friends from Texas and Jacquie, our friend and local guide, after spending the day in Quito’s Historic Center, where we watched the well-known procession named for Jesus del Gran Poder. Needless to say, we were tired but...
Arrastre de Caudas in Quito: Witnessing an Ancient Rite
Last year marked my second time attending the Arrastre de Caudas in Quito—an unusual tradition for someone who isn’t Catholic. And yet, I keep coming back. There is something about Catholicism in the Andes that feels different from what I’ve experienced in the United...
Gossamer Gear Aero Jet Review: Best Small Carry-On?
Planning our trip to Peru’s Chachapoyas region forced me to rethink my carry-on strategy. The only airline serving the area allows bags just 15 x 12 x 8 inches with an 11-pound weight limit — far stricter than what most international carriers permit. My usual 40L...
Common Questions About the Sarcophagi of Karajía
Before visiting Karajía, we thought we had a pretty good sense of what we were going to see. Like most people, we’d seen the photographs: a small group of towering figures perched high on a cliff, their painted faces staring out over the valley. It wasn’t until we...